The Book Corner with Miche Atagana

For the Season 4 finale, we close with a book that asks the sharpest question of all: once the world is listening, who owns the story. In this final episode, I’m joined by Kevin Maina ( @mainamind ) to talk about Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor . We follow Zelu , a Nigerian American writer whose sudden success turns her into a public argument, even as she tries to stay a person. The novel fo...

This week it’s just me, and we’re pairing two very different books that are secretly in conversation about the same thing: desire, and who gets to shape it. First, Female Fantasy by Iman Hariri-Kia , a sharp, funny, romance-saturated novel about a devoted romantasy fan and fanfiction writer, Joonie Saboonchi , who starts measuring real life against fictional longing, then goes looking for the “rea...

This episode was meant to be about robots. It starts there, briefly. Tin hearts, code, sentience, the usual. Then Kevin Maina ( @mainamind ) takes the wheel and somehow we end up in poetry, longing, and the lost art of the love letter. No one is more surprised than me. What follows is a very real conversation about why people still write to be remembered, why tenderness is a form of courage, and w...

A city that turns survival into spectacle. A body-leaping power that makes desire dangerous. In this episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , I’m joined by Kevin Maina ( @mainamind ) to dive into Chloe Gong’s San-Er duet: Immortal Longing and The Vilest Things . We talk televised death games, politics with teeth, and a romance sharp enough to cut through a palace full of knives. Expect balco...

A hospital game room, a chance reunion at a Boston station, and a lifetime of making things together. In this episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , I’m joined by Kevin Maina ( @mainamind ) to talk about Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow — a novel about friendship as a co-op campaign, art as labour, and the ways success tests who we are. In this episode: Sam, Sadie, an...

Conquered kingdom. Outlawed magic. An heir who refuses the script. In this episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , I am joined by Kevin Maina ( @mainamind ) to dive into Sara Hashem’s duology: The Jasad Heir and The Jasad Crown . We talk survival that becomes leadership, romance that respects politics, and why magic feels like memory more than fireworks. Expect deadly trials, sharp negotiat...

Kevin Maina and I step into Katabasis by R.F. Kuang, a dark-academia descent story set in 1980s Cambridge, where ambition feels like a religion and brilliance comes with a price tag. Two rival PhD candidates make an impossible choice and head somewhere they were never meant to survive, all for the kind of academic validation that can decide a life. What follows is part underworld journey, part sat...

New season, new voice at the table. I’m joined by Kevin Maina ( @mainamind ) as we dive into a gothic, time-spanning feast about appetite, autonomy, and women who refuse to be consumed. Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil moves from a 16th-century colony to Victorian England to modern Boston, braiding three lives into one reckoning. In this episode: Why the three timelines sing together The most h...

A carriage humming towards midnight. A bar stool shared by chance. In this episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , we spend New Year’s Eve with two Tokyo favourites about small choices and soft courage: Passengers on the Hankyu Line by Hiro Arikawa Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami We talk about city intimacy, micro-gestures that change a day, and why some romances sound like quie...

Fairy lights in the window, a kettle on the boil, and a counter stacked with wrapped surprises. In this festive episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , we return to Rebecca Thorne’s cosy bookshop, where love reads like good stock-taking and community is built one recommendation at a time. We talk about how the series turns ordinary work into romance, why December rituals matter, and the sid...

Some doors need a key. Some need a question. In this episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , we visit three quiet-magic favourites about curation as care: What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi When the Museum Is Closed by Emi Yagi We talk about how a librarian’s odd reading lists change lives, a photographer’s studio help...

A summer house beneath a live volcano. Drafting tables, cicadas, and the quiet discipline of work. In this episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , we step into Masashi Matsuie’s Summer at Mount Asama (trans. Margaret Mitsutani ), where a young architect, Tōru Sakanishi , joins the Murai Office and learns how craft, mentorship, and ordinary days can change a life. We talk about the studio’s...

What makes a family when the world keeps testing the seams. In this episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , we read two TJ Klune stories about protection, choice, and the soft power of routines. In the Lives of Puppets : Victor Lawson, an android father, a chaotic vacuum called Rambo, and a nurse bot with sharp opinions set out on a rescue that asks what a person is. The Bones Beneath My Sk...

Girls who make their own armour out of wit, kindness, and a sewing kit. In this episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , we pair T. Kingfisher’s fierce, funny dark fairytales: Nettle & Bone — a third-born princess gathers a cemetery witch, a disgraced knight, a demon-possessed chicken, and a bone dog for a very practical quest. A Sorceress Comes to Call — a country house gothic where bri...

Some places only appear when you are ready to find them. A door that opens on full-moon nights. A father-and-daughter diner that recreates the taste you cannot forget. In this episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , we wander Kyoto by lamplight through three “quiet magic” favourites: Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai The Restaurant of Lo...

In a tiny Tokyo café called Funiculi Funicula , there is one seat that lets you travel in time. The rules are simple and cruel: you cannot leave your chair, you can only meet someone who has visited the café, nothing in the present will change — and you must drink your coffee before it gets cold . In this episode of The Book Corner with Mich Atagana , we spend time with the entire Before the Coffe...

Step into a poignant and comforting afterlife with Mich Atagana on The Book Corner as we delve into TJ Klune's 'Under the Whispering Door.' This isn't just a story about death; it's a profound exploration of what it truly means to live and love. Join Mich as she unpacks the journey of Wallace Price, a man who finds himself at a peculiar tea shop run by the gentle ferryman Hugo...

Dive into the enchanting world of Laini Taylor's 'Strange the Dreamer' and 'Muse of Nightmares' with Mich Atagana! In this episode of The Book Corner, we explore the mystical city of Weep, the captivating characters of Lazlo Strange and Sarai, and the haunting beauty of Taylor's prose. Join us as we unravel the intricate plot, dissect the complex character dynamics, and immerse ourselves in the dr...

Join Mich Atagana on this episode of The Book Corner as she delves into the captivating world of "The Legend of Meneka," a reimagined tale from Hindu mythology. Mich unpacks the story of Meneka, a celestial dancer tasked by the king of gods, Indra, to seduce the powerful sage Kaushika. Explore the complex emotional journey as Meneka grapples with her duty and her burgeoning feelings for Kaushika,...

Embark on a profound literary journey with Mich Atagana in this episode of The Book Corner, as she explores Elif Shafak's "There Are Rivers in the Sky." This sweeping narrative weaves together the lives of three distinct characters across centuries and continents, all connected by the enduring power of water. Mich delves into the poetic and thought-provoking themes of memory, loss, d...

Join Mich Atagana on this episode of The Book Corner as she delves into the enchanting world of Lucy Jane Wood's "Rewitched." This cosy fantasy novel follows Belle, a London witch facing a magical crisis and a journey of self-discovery. Mich explores the book's delightful blend of wit, warmth, and whimsy, discussing Belle's struggle to reclaim her magic and confidence after a disastrous magical co...

Enter a world where dreams and art shape reality in Brandon Sanderson's "Yumi and the Nightmare Painter." Mich Atagana dives into this imaginative tale of a spirit-summoner and a reluctant artist who swap lives. Explore Sanderson's intricate world-building, the battle against Nightmares, and the power of creation. Discover a story that blends mythic beauty with cyberpunk aestheti...

Dive into the intoxicating world of Asako Yuzuki's "Butter" with Mich Atagana. This episode explores the novel's seductive blend of food, mystery, and gender politics. Join Mich as she unravels the story of Manako Kajii, a woman accused of manipulating men through her extraordinary cooking. Discover how Yuzuki uses rich, sensory descriptions of food to explore themes of power, in...

Join Mich Atagana on The Book Corner as she dives into the thrilling world of Rebecca Yarros’s 'Empyrean' series! In this episode, we explore the explosive journey that began with 'Fourth Wing,' escalated with 'Iron Flame,' and reaches new heights in 'Onyx Storm.' We'll recap Violet Sorrengail's journey, discuss the complex characters and their relationships...

In this episode, I delve into Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi, a thought-provoking and immersive fantasy that explores power, identity, and survival in a beautifully crafted world. Known for his intricate storytelling and rich, atmospheric settings, Bacigalupi delivers a gripping narrative that questions the cost of ambition and the sacrifices we make for freedom. I’ll discuss the unforgettable charact...